Thoughts on Leadership, Life and Fun stuff

Archive for January, 2010

Yesterday I heard 75-year old John Bisagno speak to a group of pastors at First Baptist Church of Jacksonville Pastors’ Conference. Dr. Bisagno retired after 30 years of ministry at First Baptist Church Houston leading that congregation to reach thousands of people in Houston and around the globe. While most men his age would be tempted to reminisce about the good ol’ days and how the new generation has drifted away from God, Bisagno had no time for that. He was more interested in speaking about how to use social media to reach the lost. What has impressed me the most about Dr. Bisagno is a quality that I have valued since my early teens when an 83 year old school cook asked me to help her cook a dish she didn’t have a recipe for. I felt uneasy about telling granny what to do in the kitchen, but she…

Since we started The A Group 9 years ago, we have been giving Christmas gifts to our clients: expensive cookies, designer pen, leather notebooks, engraved pad-folios to name a few. However none has elicit the volume of feedback through notes, calls and lots of social media mentions as this past year’s gift: The A Group branded Snuggie. We sent them to clients in the cold North as well as in sunny Florida along with our Christmas card also featuring our entire team wearing Snuggies. None of us could’ve predicted such a warm reception (pun intended) nor some of the coldest weather in recent history. Here’s a few lessons from this year’s Christmas gift: This was not the most expensive gift we have ever sent, but it was the most original We are a professional but fun company and the branded Snuggie said it all In a sea of cookies, pop…

These are a few more pictures I took with my trusty iPhone. They are a bit random, but, again, so am I. Beautiful Repulse Bay. Who calls a place this nice “Repulse”? They call it the Chinese Riviera deservedly so. So the beach is immaculately clean. That’s because according to the sign above, you cannot do anything but look at it. Beautiful view atop Victoria’s Peak. Yep, iPhone. Juxtaposition of old and new worlds. Note the leopard print detail. . . and to finish the ensemble: matching breathing mask. Love the fashion forward of Hong Kong This picture strikes fear in the heart of middle-aged man everywhere. Steve Shantz, my travel companion poses in front of our nemesis

Sometimes intelligent people surprise me with their lack of business acumen, marketing savvy and just even common sense. A Pastor friend of mine had been in dialogue with a service provider who came highly recommended to him. According to his sources, this business owner went to an Ivy League school and was running a service business helping Pastors with their message research. Negotiations were going well until my friend received the following text message: First I thought it was a joke, but he assured me this was for real. He didn’t know what to say in reply but he knew he was not going to do business with the man for sure– Ivy League pedigree or not. Incensed, I helped craft the following reply: Am I overly sensitive or is this one of the worst attempts at closing a deal you’ve ever seen?

One of the most fun parts of my trip to Hong Kong was going to a street fair near my hotel. But in just a few hours after Steve Shantz, my travel companion and I made our way through the crowded fair Saturday, a man threw a bottle of acid into the crowd from a roof top injuring some 30 people including several tourists and children. You can read the CNN report here I’m specially thankful for family and friends who were praying for my safety during this trip. My son Derek and his entire class committed to pray for me as well. We often take prayer for granted, but incidents such as this bring the covering of prayer into the spotlight. Have you ever felt the power of prayer work in your own life? What’s your story?

Sunday night as I walked through the financial center of Hong Kong, one of the most beautiful and wealthiest cities in the world, I heard what I thought was the sound of thousands of birds. As it turned out, the sound came from hundreds, if not thousands of Philippine women under a large concrete structure. Their story broke my heart. http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=8656750&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=1&color=00ADEF&fullscreen=1 When was the last time your heart went out to a group of people or to someone in need?

After a 16-hour flight from Newark I landed in Hong Kong where my body is still trying to deal with a 14-hour time zone difference. It’s been wreaking havoc with my sleep cycle but it has been worth it. My first two days were mostly spent with the friendly TWR.org staff here in Hong Kong. They were gracious hosts and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with them. This afternoon, my traveling companion, Steve Shantz and I ventured out into the city. Here are a few random thoughts: 1. People in Hong Kong are not early risers. There’s nothing open before 7 a.m., and that includes the YMCA as well as Starbucks which was still closed by 7:30! Oh, but there are 24 hrs McDonalds and chicken feet stores. 2. Folks here love tea but it’s very hard to get a good cup of coffee. Take a look of the picture…